Ben Thornley
| Date of birth | 21 April 1975 |
| Place of birth | Bury |
| Nationality | English |
| Weight | 75 kg |
| Height | 1.75 m |
| Position | Forward |
An immensely likeable left-winger, Ben, a promising Youth team player got very few chances in a five year stay at Old Trafford with both Giggs and Sharpe as competition.
Ben joined Bury in September 2003 on non-contract terms but was released at the end of the following month. He joined Halifax Town, also on a non-contract basis, in March 2004.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 29 Jan 1993 | 03 Jul 1998 | |
| Stockport County | 06 Nov 1995 | 21 Jan 1996 | L |
| Huddersfield Town | 22 Feb 1996 | 06 May 1996 | L |
| Huddersfield Town | 03 Jul 1998 | 30 Jun 2001 | |
| Reading | 09 Jul 2001 | 24 Jul 2001 | T |
| Aberdeen | 28 Jul 2001 | 01 Aug 2001 | T |
| Aberdeen | 02 Aug 2001 | 01 Jan 2003 | |
| Blackpool | 01 Jan 2003 | 30 Jun 2003 | |
| Bury | 05 Sep 2003 | 31 Oct 2003 | |
| Stalybridge Celtic | 14 Nov 2003 | 01 Mar 2004 | |
| Halifax Town | 01 Mar 2004 | 31 May 2004 | |
| Bacup Borough | 19 Nov 2004 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | Manchester United | Premier League | 1 |
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| 1995-96 | Manchester United | Premier League | 1 |
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| 1996-97 | Manchester United | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Manchester United | Premier League | 1 | 1 |
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| 1997-98 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 2 |
1
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| 1997-98 | Manchester United | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1997-98 | Manchester United | Premier League | 5 |
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| 1998-99 | Huddersfield Town | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Huddersfield Town | League Cup | 2 |
1
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| 1999-00 | Huddersfield Town | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Huddersfield Town | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Huddersfield Town | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Huddersfield Town | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Huddersfield Town | League Division 1 | 29 | 7 |
3
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| 2001-02 | Aberdeen | Scottish FA Cup | 2 |
1 |
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| 2001-02 | Aberdeen | Scottish League Cup | 2 | 1 |
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| 2001-02 | Aberdeen | Scottish Premier League | 15 | 9 |
3 |
3
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1
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| 2002-03 | Aberdeen | Scottish League Cup | 1 |
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| 2002-03 | Aberdeen | Scottish Premier League | 2 | 4 |
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| 2002-03 | Blackpool | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Blackpool | League Division 2 | 7 | 5 |
1
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| 2003-04 | Bury | League Division 3 | 5 |
1
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Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 1998 | Huddersfield Town v Everton | D | 1-1 | League Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 23 Sep 1998 | Everton v Huddersfield Town | L |
2-1 Agg: 3-2 |
League Cup | 2nd round 2nd leg |
| 13 Feb 1999 | Huddersfield Town v Derby County | D | 2-2 | FA Cup | 5th round |
| 24 Feb 1999 | Derby County v Huddersfield Town | L | 3-1 | FA Cup | 5th round replay |
| 30 Nov 1999 | Huddersfield Town v Wimbledon | L | 1-2 | League Cup | 4th round |
| 12 Dec 1999 | Huddersfield Town v Liverpool | L | 0-2 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 12 Aug 2000 | Huddersfield Town v Watford | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 22 Aug 2000 | Oldham Athletic v Huddersfield Town | L | 1-0 | League Cup | 1st round 1st leg |
| 28 Aug 2000 | Stockport County v Huddersfield Town | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 05 Sep 2000 | Huddersfield Town v Oldham Athletic | L |
0-2 Agg: 0-3 |
League Cup | 1st round 2nd leg |
| 16 Sep 2000 | Gillingham v Huddersfield Town | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 23 Sep 2000 | Huddersfield Town v Burnley | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 30 Sep 2000 | Norwich City v Huddersfield Town | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 06 Oct 2000 | Huddersfield Town v Barnsley | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Oct 2000 | Grimsby Town v Huddersfield Town | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 21 Oct 2000 | Huddersfield Town v Preston North End | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Oct 2000 | Crewe Alexandra v Huddersfield Town | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Oct 2000 | Huddersfield Town v Blackburn Rovers | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 04 Nov 2000 | Fulham v Huddersfield Town | L | 3-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 11 Nov 2000 | Huddersfield Town v West Bromwich Albion | L | 0-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 18 Nov 2000 | Queens Park Rangers v Huddersfield Town | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 25 Nov 2000 | Birmingham City v Huddersfield Town | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 02 Dec 2000 | Huddersfield Town v Crewe Alexandra | W | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 09 Dec 2000 | Huddersfield Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers | W | 3-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 13 Dec 2000 | Nottingham Forest v Huddersfield Town | W | 1-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Dec 2000 | Portsmouth v Huddersfield Town | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 30 Dec 2000 | Huddersfield Town v Sheffield Wednesday | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 06 Jan 2001 | Huddersfield Town v Bristol City | L | 0-2 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 13 Jan 2001 | Huddersfield Town v Stockport County | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 03 Feb 2001 | Huddersfield Town v Nottingham Forest | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 10 Feb 2001 | Bolton Wanderers v Huddersfield Town | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Feb 2001 | Huddersfield Town v Gillingham | L | 2-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Feb 2001 | Burnley v Huddersfield Town | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 27 Feb 2001 | Tranmere Rovers v Huddersfield Town | L | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 03 Mar 2001 | Huddersfield Town v Norwich City | W | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 06 Mar 2001 | Huddersfield Town v Grimsby Town | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 31 Mar 2001 | Huddersfield Town v Portsmouth | W | 4-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 07 Apr 2001 | Wolverhampton Wanderers v Huddersfield Town | W | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 10 Apr 2001 | Preston North End v Huddersfield Town | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Apr 2001 | Huddersfield Town v Fulham | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Apr 2001 | Blackburn Rovers v Huddersfield Town | L | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 21 Apr 2001 | Huddersfield Town v Queens Park Rangers | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Apr 2001 | West Bromwich Albion v Huddersfield Town | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 01 May 2001 | Wimbledon v Huddersfield Town | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 06 May 2001 | Huddersfield Town v Birmingham City | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | England | Toulon Under-21 | 3 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 May 1996 | England v Belgium | W | 1-0 | Toulon Under-21 | Group B |
| 30 May 1996 | England v Portugal | L | 1-3 | Toulon Under-21 | Group B |
| 01 Jun 1996 | England v Brazil | L | 1-2 | Toulon Under-21 | Group B |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.